The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.

Michigan Child Support and Objecting to FOC Recommendations

Determining Fair Child Support Payments

While it seems as though calculating child support payments should be fairly straightforward, the truth is that it can be more complicated than most people realize. To help ensure you are paying or receiving a fair amount, speak with an experienced attorney.

At Schwartz Law Firm, we understand the subtle nuances of the child support formula and know how to use them to your advantage. Serving clients in Oakland County, Michigan, and the surrounding area, we will take the time to truly understand your child support situation and help you find a reasonable solution that works for you and your family.

Accurate Information Is Necessary for Accurate Obligation Amounts

In Michigan, child support is determined by the Child Support Formula, designed to apportion support obligations between both parents based on the percentage share of their combined net incomes. The formula consists of a base support amount, an ordinary medical amount and child care expenses.

These and other factors are then plugged into a computer program that calculates the monthly support obligation. Because the result depends entirely on the facts that were used to generate the final number, it is important that whoever calculates the obligation amount has accurate data.

Unless the parties can agree on the child support amount, the case will usually be sent to the Friend of the Court (FOC) for an investigation and recommendation. It is thus important that your attorney be able to scrutinize the FOC's calculations to ensure that the data used to generate the support amount was accurate. You may wish to advocate for the recommendation or object to it. Either way, your counsel will need to understand the subtleties of the support guidelines to win the argument.

Getting to the Facts

Calculating child support obligations is not as simple as it may seem. It can become more difficult when one parent is self-employed or receives bonuses or commissions that make his or her income vary. The support obligation may fluctuate based on other factors such as:

Who claims the children as tax exemptions

Whether a health insurance premium is paid to cover the children

What the parenting-time schedule will be

Whether income should be imputed to an unemployed spouse

When you visit our office in Farmington Hills, our lawyers will sit down with you to analyze your situation and run a variety of child support scenarios. This way, you will be prepared for a range of possible outcomes and have a firm basis from which to negotiate a settlement, prepare for an FOC investigation or trial.

Experienced Legal Guidance

Our family law attorneys have extensive experience assisting clients in Detroit and the surrounding communities with issues relating to child support and objecting to FOC recommendations. Call us at 888-757-1681 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.